Best breed for protection

[TrevTro]

Wanted a dog for years, now the time is right. I've had greyhounds, collies and lurchers.

I run and walk at least 2-3 hours a day, in a rural area. I was spooked the other day by a man when I was on my own running, and I would like a breed that would be protective, or at least just look intimidating, that would enjoy the amount I do outside.

So ideally active, affectionate, loyal. They would be very much loved and I have lots of time for training.

I'm not necessarily wanting a puppy, I be much happier getting a rescue dog but wondered if anyone had any breeds they would recommend?

My concern with getting a "protective" dog is that if you don't get it right re. socialisation and training, you can quickly end up with a large, aggressive, reactive dog on your hands.

I work with dogs and I see so many people getting dogs like this - and they're fine as puppies and even as adolescents, but as soon as they reach maturity it's often a whole different ball game.

I would think carefully about taking on a guarding/protection breed - especially a rescue as you don't know their background and what may trigger them. You really don't want a dog that guards you or the house to the extent you can't have visitors, for example.

What a very unpleasant experience, I hope you're ok.

I second a Doberman. I've had all sort of breeds and mutts and in my opinion the Doberman is just in a different league. I could not not have one now.
Our present Dobbie is an old rescue, he's had a lot of trauma but amazingly he is the most loving, keen to please, clever, well-balanced dog; a credit to the strength of the breed I think, and just typical of it.
Just as @Newusernameaug said about family versus strangers.
They are very easy to train and live with, all they want is to please you.
They thrive on calm and consistency, they really are big softies inside so gentle handling is a must.
We got our first Doberman after some one unsettling experience (we live in the middle of nowhere) and it was absolutely the right choice for us.
My daughter or I wouldn't go for a run without him.

New Zealand Huntaway.

Soft lumps but look the part and a great bark on them. Can be trained to "speak" on demand.

Protective is a shitty trait in a pet dog, because it’s not under your control, how do you then stop the dog spooking at normal stuff?

Looking intimidating is slightly different, there’s supposedly research that says large black dogs are the ones people find scariest, lots of people on MN seem to find staffy shaped dogs worrying... other than that it’s all a bit subjective really.

Anyone in the know is far more terrified of a jack russell than a staffy

Exactly this

😂 you’re not wrong

But there’s definitely a load of people worried about staffies... well, what they think are staffies anyway.

If you want a dog that can run avoid any of the giant breeds or anything with a flat face. GSD, pointers, dobermans all good options. I have a border collie who is very protective towards me , but it is a pain in the backside as I can't really trust her with strangers. It's hard to have friendly to people outside the immediate family and protective in the same dog. I suspect you would have have a dog of exactly the right temperament and expert training for this. If you want a dog for running can't beat a border collie.

I (obviously) second a pointer. They are super high energy and will run all day but they will protect their family as well. My GWP is dopey as you like around family etc but will stare anyone down she doesn’t like and is big and hairy enough to scare anyone away 😂

I've had big dogs (Doberman, Weimaraner and GSD) but the fiercest dog I've ever had is this one. He would quite literally kill anyone who tried to harm us. He looks cute till you see his teeth. But probably not the deterrent you've after...

Forgot his teeth

Staffies fit the “look intimidating” criteria but are not actually very protective - ours would faster lick someone to death. They are often reactive to other dogs but not people, but might be enough to make someone think twice about approaching you.

Is there any reason you don't have a dog now? Did you want a dog before this?

It is highly unlikely that a man is going to attack you in the woods. The type that would is also liable to enjoy hurting animals. Nobody knows how a dog will react until the incident occurs.

Get a dog that you can handle. I'd recommend a dog under half of your weight. Your dog is far more likely to have a moment and try to leap into a road or bounce an unsuitable person. You need to be in charge.

A medium sized dog, that can run will deter the slight weirdos from approaching you. It is far more important that your dog is well trained and well socialised, so that you can enjoy living your life.

My friend had a Rottie that saw off a burglar. At first it seemed the dog had come off best, 18 months later the dog was PTS because it had become a violent and aggressive wreck, at lot of effort was put into the dog, nothing helped.

My friend has a German Shepherd who she has trained to bark aggressively on command. It's a sight to behold.

A lot of “protective” dogs with inadequate training and socialisation quickly become anxious reactive wrecks. So I’d make sure to really carefully appraise how much you’re willing to do and how competent you are.

I can't explain how happy it makes me to see people recommending Dobermann, I'm in my 50's and got my first Dobermann when I was 7, other than a few years when I lived in a housing estate I've always had at least one. They are the most incredible loving loyal clever dogs who in my experience are great with children (as long as the children are trained to behave around dogs, all childrenshould be), I could spend all day telling stories about how wonderful they've been, I've adopted/rescued a few in later years, all male, all adult dogs, all fitted in brilliantly and have been away on caravan holidays with us etc. They love the freedom of a large garden, they are protective and loyal, they regard their family as the priority without a doubt, right now I've a 12 year old snoring in front of the stove, he's a rescue who was starved and left outside with no kennel or bed prior to coming to us, turned out he's a trained assistant dog who opens doors,takes the washing out of the machine, if anyone lies on the ground he tries to help them up or if he can't do that he lies beside them, cuddled right in with his head on your body, at one stage I'd three dobermann and walked them together no problem. Sorry for the long post but I'm pretty obsessed with these wonderful dogs. (I also have a 10 year old whippet which is nuts and two young small collie/terrier mix brothers that pull the ears of the bigger dogs to get them to play, it's a bit of a mad house).

Irish water spaniels are beautiful dogs, real jokers and would adore that amount of exercise each day. They have a ferocious bark but are real clowns.

Please do this. So many dogs stuck in kennels that would thrive with the amount of exercise and training you can give.

Personally I'd go for one of the leggy bull x that are abundant in rescue, one which doesn't have a squish nose so can breath well enough and not too heavy built for distance. If you like sighthounds maybe a bull lurcher. People tend to be wary of anything chunky headed but these are usually more people orientated than traditionally bred for protection. Though you'd need to enjoy their full on cuddles!

Dobermans, rottweilers & GSD while lovely seem to have lots health issues so therefore expensive to insure and may need to retire from long distances much earlier, although labs are also prone to hip/elbow dysplasia so could be better off with adult to see if affected. Personally I'd choose to avoid a dog with more guarding instincts as its another layer to manage and can make life much more difficult if they then don't like visitors to home & may misread a situation as a danger, many I've met seem quite anxious characters underneath.

I prefer look of more square, lighter build of Belgium shepherds to GSD they have 3 other types to malinois which think are bit less intense but more coat care. There are loads of malinois in rescue now sadly but are much like collie brains in needing a job so would be more lifestyle choice training/ dog sport.

You may find this FB group useful
cani-sport dogs for rehoming

Protective is a shitty trait in a pet dog, because it’s not under your control, how do you then stop the dog spooking at normal stuff?

Watch some of the proper trained protection dogs on YouTube - e.g. ex police dog trainers, not the clowns breeding XXXXL bullies etc.

They can go from barking and straining on a lead to sitting and being stroked by a stranger with a single word command. It's learned behaviour not uncontrolled aggression.

Scnauzer?

A lot of the breeds above can be trained for personal protection but they probably have a look anyway that'd deter someone.
Most dogs in this country would not protect their owners, imo.

DH is a farmer so we have multiple dogs.

We have collies and huntaways for sheep work.

The huntaways we have started recently and now have six. Many people have commented on the size and likeness to Doberman.

They are beautiful, intelligent dogs, although many will herd, like a collie.

We rehomed two recently, who had no interest in working or sheep, and both went to people for presence, protection when working alone and running.

My friend has a Doberman that he takes to work for extra "protection" (won't go into details, but it's a night job)

He (the dog) is lovely, very sweet and friendly in the home to all visitors, but definitely a one person dog (sometimes I babysit him when my friend goes out for the evening (he hates being left alone) and he never really settles completely when his owner is out of his sight, even though he knows me very well.

He does look menacing though, even though he's a big softie.

Also, every Rottweiler I've met, while apparently looking scary to some people (they remind ME of teddy bears) has been a bit of a wuss in private, and very affectionate pets.